My name is Sonia Huntley, M.D., and I am uniquely qualified to help my clients navigate today's intimidating health care system. People without medical knowledge are at a disadvantage. With my training, experience, and comforting personality, I can significantly improve the lives of my clients.

I am a board certified internist trained in adult medicine, and have been helping my own patients for years. So, I have an excellent understanding of the medical side of health care.

The day my toddler son was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I began to understand the patient's perspective in a very personal way. Even with the finest of medical care available, I experienced many of the frustrations and roadblocks that are so common in today's fragmented and complicated system.

I became a strong advocate during my son's 3 year battle for quality of life. I have found this is a skill developed only through practice - even in physicians.

Assisting my mother, who has both Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer, has also taught me lessons not found at medical school. There is a fine art to supporting a person's medical needs and dignity at the same time. Achieving better health care requires excellent communication with medical professionals. This is best attained with the help of an advocate who is a qualified medical professional and who, at the same time, knows you as though she were a family member.

I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband and school age son.

Biography:

• B.S. Biochemistry from University of California, Davis
• Research biochemist for 4 years
• M.D. from University of California, San Diego
• Internal Medicine residency at Oregon Health Sciences University
• Internal Medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente for 6 years
• 2 years of herbal medicine training
• Suicide hotline volunteer